Watching him commentate the Soderling-Davy match and instead of commenting on the match itself, he's complaining about GS attendees cheering for Nadal's opponents. "I bet 90% of the French Open audience had no idea what Soderling's first name was!" (JMac, you don't even know how to pronounce Soderling: it's SODERLING, not SAHHDERLING). "Can you believe that people here were chanting for Kiefer? What did Nadal ever do to them except give 110%."

Believe it or not, JMac, some people just like to support the underdog! Hard to believe, I know, considering that you're the ultimate bandwagon jumper and brown-noser who effusively praises every top 5 player when they're on court. Also, can you learn to shush during points? K thanx.

The French giving zero support to Nadal has to do more with their general attitude than their supposed love for Soderling. Let's be honest for a second. Nadal never got much love in Paris,even though he is a 4 times champion there. The French(well actually the parisians not all the french) are snobs and they like their champions to play beautifully,which is pretty funny,since clay champions are usually grinders a la Nadal/Muster/Borg and so on.

There are several facts going against Nadal in his quest for the approval of the RG crowd:

-he's a grinder and the french like players with elegant game and strokes.

-he's Spanish and for all those who know European realities,know that there is a underlying rivalry between the French and Spanish in a lot of areas,not just sports. It's like this with all big,important countries who are neighbors. It's not easy to see how the Spanish own them in football(both in the national team and clubs),win their GS slam event year after year,hell even in cycling Contador won the Tour de France.

-he doesn't speak French and in France that helps. It's no coincidence that Federer and Henin are so loved over there and it's only natural because you can connect to the player better if he speaks your language.

The French crowd wanted Nadal to lose so that Federer could win RG. It's as simple as that really. McEnroe knows more about tennis than any of us and if even he thought this behaviour strange then there is something to it and I don't think he is a *******. And he is not the only commentator who has mentioned that this is weird.To put it into perspective for Fed fans,it's like Federer getting little to no support in USO when he is in trouble because the newyorkers wanted Nadal to finally win and get a Career Slam. That would be an abomination,because Fed has always had the crowd on his side at his favourite slams.

The underdog theory falls flat on its face and I will tell you why in a minute. If the french wanted a better quality upset they would have rooted for Nadal in the end of the 4th because a 5 setter is a better dethroning of a champion and they would have seen more thrilling tennis,because they would have made it to a deciding set. But,unbelievably,the crowd rooted for Soderling in the 4th set tiebreak,even after they guy had gained a large lead(he won that tiebreak 7-1 or something like that). In the one moment when their 4 times champion needed a bit of support,because he could have pushed the match to 5 sets,the french chose not to give that support. Many commentators said on the spot how weird that moment was but they were probably *******s,right?

So Soderling eliminated Nadal. Does he receive a lot of love in the next rounds? Well not really,at least not like in the Nadal match. Then the final comes along. Soderling,the crowd favourite according to the underdog theory,is ignored by the crowd who turn to Federer,the huge favourite in that match. Besides soderling's box no one in that whole arena was rooting for Soderling,everybody wanted Fed to win. They cheered twice as hard for Fed's winners,gasped when Fed made errors and cheered on Soderling's mistakes. Kinda weird how they dumped the lovable underdog once their actual favourite player(fed) stepped on-court,isn't it? If they really liked Soderling,they would have pulled for him on that day but they didn't. They only turned to him when he got the job done,which was to take Nadal out.

But hey,who am I to accuse the crowd,right? Then again I trust McEnroe's words more than I trust some TW'ers who want to believe that Soderling was cheered on in RG because he was the underdog,not because the French wanted Nadal out.

The French giving zero support to Nadal has to do more with their general attitude than their supposed love for Soderling. Let's be honest for a second. Nadal never got much love in Paris,even though he is a 4 times champion there. The French(well actually the parisians not all the french) are snobs and they like their champions to play beautifully,which is pretty funny,since clay champions are usually grinders a la Nadal/Muster/Borg and so on.

There are several facts going against Nadal in his quest for the approval of the RG crowd:

-he's a grinder and the french like players with elegant game and strokes.

-he's Spanish and for all those who know European realities,know that there is a underlying rivalry between the French and Spanish in a lot of areas,not just sports. It's like this with all big,important countries who are neighbors. It's not easy to see how the Spanish own them in football(both in the national team and clubs),win their GS slam event year after year,hell even in cycling Contador won the Tour de France.

-he doesn't speak French and in France that helps. It's no coincidence that Federer and Henin are so loved over there and it's only natural because you can connect to the player better if he speaks your language.

The French crowd wanted Nadal to lose so that Federer could win RG. It's as simple as that really. McEnroe knows more about tennis than any of us and if even he thought this behaviour strange then there is something to it and I don't think he is a *******. And he is not the only commentator who has mentioned that this is weird.To put it into perspective for Fed fans,it's like Federer getting little to no support in USO when he is in trouble because the newyorkers wanted Nadal to finally win and get a Career Slam. That would be an abomination,because Fed has always had the crowd on his side at his favourite slams.

The underdog theory falls flat on its face and I will tell you why in a minute. If the french wanted a better quality upset they would have rooted for Nadal in the end of the 4th because a 5 setter is a better dethroning of a champion and they would have seen more thrilling tennis,because they would have made it to a deciding set. But,unbelievably,the crowd rooted for Soderling in the 4th set tiebreak,even after they guy had gained a large lead(he won that tiebreak 7-1 or something like that). In the one moment when their 4 times champion needed a bit of support,because he could have pushed the match to 5 sets,the french chose not to give that support. Many commentators said on the spot how weird that moment was but they were probably *******s,right?

So Soderling eliminated Nadal. Does he receive a lot of love in the next rounds? Well not really,at least not like in the Nadal match. Then the final comes along. Soderling,the crowd favourite according to the underdog theory,is ignored by the crowd who turn to Federer,the huge favourite in that match. Besides soderling's box no one in that whole arena was rooting for Soderling,everybody wanted Fed to win. They cheered twice as hard for Fed's winners,gasped when Fed made errors and cheered on Soderling's mistakes. Kinda weird how they dumped the lovable underdog once their actual favourite player(fed) stepped on-court,isn't it? If they really liked Soderling,they would have pulled for him on that day but they didn't. They only turned to him when he got the job done,which was to take Nadal out.

But hey,who am I to accuse the crowd,right? Then again I trust McEnroe's words more than I trust some TW'ers who want to believe that Soderling was cheered on in RG because he was the underdog,not because the French wanted Nadal out.

boo hoo, when you win, the less fans are likely to embrace you. and if you win ugly, even less fans are likely to embrace you. sampras was never loved at wimbledon

Watching him commentate the Soderling-Davy match and instead of commenting on the match itself, he's complaining about GS attendees cheering for Nadal's opponents. "I bet 90% of the French Open audience had no idea what Soderling's first name was!" (JMac, you don't even know how to pronounce Soderling: it's SODERLING, not SAHHDERLING). "Can you believe that people here were chanting for Kiefer? What did Nadal ever do to them except give 110%."

Believe it or not, JMac, some people just like to support the underdog! Hard to believe, I know, considering that you're the ultimate bandwagon jumper and brown-noser who effusively praises every top 5 player when they're on court. Also, can you learn to shush during points? K thanx.

True, but I think this is a matter of there are a lot more Federer fans than Nadal fans, and the Federer fans are the type to cheer against a player like Nadal (or Murray, or Djokovic) to lose rather to hope Federer beats them himself. McEnroe likes a winner, and he can't understand why a person would ever cheer for a player's mistakes.

True, but I think this is a matter of there are a lot more Federer fans than Nadal fans, and the Federer fans are the type to cheer against a player like Nadal (or Murray, or Djokovic) to lose rather to hope Federer beats them himself.

This is stupid generalizing,it would be same as me saying all Nadal fans are whining excuse machines who follow tennis only because Nadal(aren't true tennis fans),don't enjoy any other players and can't enjoy a tournament if Nadal isn't playing in it.Now some Nadal fans fit type but to say in general that they are that way would be stupid.Unless Nadal/Murray are playing against some of my favourite players I never rooted against them in my entire life.

French crowd simply doesn't like Nadal(for various reasons)regardless of Federer.Even if Fed wasn't in the draw they would root against Nadal and it's within their right,they paid the ticket and can root for whomever damn they please.

This is stupid generalizing,it would be same as me saying all Nadal fans are whining excuse machines who follow tennis only because Nadal(aren't true tennis fans),don't enjoy any other players and can't enjoy a tournament if Nadal isn't playing in it.Now some Nadal fans fir type but to say in general that they are that way would be stupid.Unless Nadal/Murray are playing against some of my favourite players I never rooted against them in my entire life.

French crowd simply doesn't like Nadal(for various reasons)regardless of Federer.Even if Fed wasn't in the draw they would root against Nadal and it's within their right,they paid the ticket and can root for whomever damn they please.

I would argue that this tendency is more prevalent in some Federer fans than it is other player's fans. Why? Because Federer has a lot more fans simply because of the media hype surrounding him. Like his pal Woods there are people who only cheer for him on the basis of his fame. I'm not saying that most Federer fans are like this, or that there are not Nadal and Murray fans who don't do the same thing.

RG is one venue, and they have never cared for the Spaniard even before he won his first title. I chalk that up to his unorthodox style of play. And of course they can cheer for or against whomever they want, and Johnny Mac can say they are petty fools who can't appreciate talent for being that way.

Very true, and any true professional wouldn't let it bother him/her unless the crowd gets out of hand.

This is true but the weird part is why they didn't give Nadal a bit of support. I mean the guy was the 4 times champion after all and he was in real trouble. No one is saying that he would have turned it around but they chose to ignore a champion going down,which I thought was very weird and so did the guys commenting whom I guess aren't as biased as us.

Nadal knows how to handle rough crowds because he has played many DC ties. The weird part for him,and his uncle,was why he was ignored by the French crowd. Nadal didn't really need the French crowd in RG because he had few close calls in these 4 years. But in this year he had very real problems and the french chose to ignore him instead of trying to give him at least a little bit of support.

The french can do as they please but we are talking about a 4 times champion,not just any player.

This is true but the weird part is why they didn't give Nadal a bit of support. I mean the guy was the 4 times champion after all and he was in real trouble. No one is saying that he would have turned it around but they chose to ignore a champion going down,which I thought was very weird and so did the guys commenting whom I guess aren't as biased as us.

Nadal knows how to handle rough crowds because he has played many DC ties. The weird part for him,and his uncle,was why he was ignored by the French crowd. Nadal didn't really need the French crowd in RG because he had few close calls in these 4 years. But in this year he had very real problems and the french chose to ignore him instead of trying to give him at least a little bit of support.

This is stupid generalizing,it would be same as me saying all Nadal fans are whining excuse machines who follow tennis only because Nadal(aren't true tennis fans),don't enjoy any other players and can't enjoy a tournament if Nadal isn't playing in it.Now some Nadal fans fit type but to say in general that they are that way would be stupid.Unless Nadal/Murray are playing against some of my favourite players I never rooted against them in my entire life.

French crowd simply doesn't like Nadal(for various reasons)regardless of Federer.Even if Fed wasn't in the draw they would root against Nadal and it's within their right,they paid the ticket and can root for whomever damn they please.

Let's be honest here. Though it has nothing to do with Nadal, or the type of people Federerfans are, every fan who wants all the best for Federer would have rooted for Soderling in that match. This was Federer's one chance, his moment of glory at the French. He made history, while another title for Rafa would have been like I said it, 'another title for Rafa'. They like Roger a lot, and I think Rafa can count on a lot more support next year

Let's be honest here. Though it has nothing to do with Nadal, or the type of people Federerfans are, every fan who wants all the best for Federer would have rooted for Soderling in that match. This was Federer's one chance, his moment of glory at the French. He made history, while another title for Rafa would have been like I said it, 'another title for Rafa'. They like Roger a lot, and I think Rafa can count on a lot more support next year